This invention relates to magnetic tape reel containers, and particularly to such containers having central arbors to support the reel and locking means therefor.
In the reel container art, it is usual to support the reel inside the container by means of an arbor impaling the reel hub and extending from the bottom or bottom and cover portions of the container. In many containers the closing and locking means is mounted on the two arbos and secures them together. Such locking means may use screw-down, cam or key-type means to urge the arbors together in pinching relation against the reel to secure the reel against rotation within the container during handling or transportation. Recently, it has been discovered that reels not free to rotate with the containers often react to external shocks such as may arise from being dropped or suddenly stopped, by having the tape packs on the reels locally "cinch" or double-up in damaging discontinuities. It has been found that older containers and cannisters such as were used in the early days of the tape and film industries were not subject to the production of tape cinches fo the reason that within such containers the reels are free to rotate with the tape packs when subjected to translational deceleration. In some examples, anti-friction sleeves and washers have been inserted between the reel and container to aid the rotational process.
With or without such anti-friction means however, there is a problem associated with the locking apparatus in containers that are meant to allow free rotation of the reel. Such locks are usually of one cam type or another, using threaded screws and bolts or rotating keys and cammed wards to draw the two container portions together in a springy relation to load the cam means against easy release. The type of container that pinches and secures the reel could rely upon the compression springiness of the reel itself to provide this security. However, in loosely journalling containers, this solution is not possible; in such containers springs are usually inserted within the wards to load the locking means. However, the manufacture of such locking means is complex and expensive. Alternatively, reliance may be had on the springiness of the container top and bottom walls; but usually this is unsatisfactory because such loading can be accidently relieved by blows or shocks upon the container exterior.
To solve this problem without the provision of expensive spring elements within the wards, the present invention envisions placing a springy rubber gasket ring between the two arbor portions of the container, loading a simple key and cam-ramp locking structure against accidental shock dislodgement, and still leaving the arbor and container walls only loosely engaging the reel, so as to permit free rotation thereof and the avoiding of cinching of the tape under shock deceleration.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a tape reel container avoiding cinching of the tape and having secure and inexpensive closing and locking means.